STATEMENT
To affirm in the new constitution the legal succession of the current Armenian Republic to the Republic of Armenia of 1918-1920 and to condemn the Moscow Treaty of March 16th, 1921
It is 99th anniversary of the Moscow Treaty signed between Bolshevik Russia and Kemalist Turkey on March 16th 1921. Although the treaty was illegal and invalid since the time of its conclusion (see Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969, Article 53), it still remains as a basis for the annexation of the most part of the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
The Republic of Armenia, which has regained its independence after the dissolution of the USSR, continues to recognize this illegal and invalid treaty with a tacit agreement, failing to address the issues of the state borders, territorial integrity and state security.
Such an approach excludes the prospect of building a national and independent Armenian state. We call on the incumbent authorities to come out of this impasse and guarantee the future of national statehood:
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1) To organize a nation-wide process of drafting and adopting a new Constitution by the end of the year, stating in its preamble the following provision, which is partially contained in the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Armenia (August 23, 1990): “The Republic of Armenia, as the successor of the Republic of Armenia of 1918-1920, develops, expands and deepens the democratic traditions of the independent Republic of Armenia established on May 28th 1918.”
2) To adopt a declaration on behalf of the Republic of Armenia, where:
A. to condemn the Kemal-Bolshevik Treaty of Moscow signed on March 16th 1921, which violated the rights of the Republic of Armenia as a subject of the international law, divided and annexed its rightful territories;
B. to emphasize that Bolshevik Russia and Kemalist Turkey carried out a policy of occupation and annexation towards the Republic of Armenia in 1920-1921, which was embodied in the Moscow Treaty of March 16th 1921, and its derivative the Kars Treaty of October 13, 1921. Both treaties were concluded in violation of international law, and therefore these treaties were illegal and void since the moment of their conclusion;
C. to acknowledge that according to international law the Republic of Armenia was an occupied and afterwards an annexed territory since December 2, 1920, up to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.
D. to underline that the restoration of Armenian sovereignty over the territory of the Republic of Armenia after the dissolution of the USSR is incomplete, as it holds only that part of internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Armenia, which is currently under its legal possession;
E. to call on the Russian Federation to condemn, by March 16th 2021, the Moscow Treaty of 1921, which was concluded by its predecessor – RSFSR and to initiate a politico-juridical process of eliminating its consequences.
Heritage Party
Democratic Homeland Party
European Party of Armenia
All Armenian movement “Sasna Tsrer”
Ara Papian
Arkadi Vardanyan
Armenak Kyureghyan